Donlin Gold Project Gains Permitting Council’s FAST-41 Coverage
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (October 27, 2025) – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the FAST-41 coverage of the Donlin Gold project. The project’s estimated mineral reserve is approximately 34 million ounces of gold, a valuable commodity included in President Trump’s Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production.
“On behalf of the Permitting Council I am proud to welcome the Donlin Gold Project to FAST-41 coverage,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “The Permitting Council has developed an exciting and vital partnership with the state of Alaska since the start of the Trump Administration, and I am thrilled to see yet another Alaskan project receiving support as we work to bring the United States’ incredible natural resources to the world’s stage.”
Located 277 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska, the Donlin Gold project encompasses the construction of a surface mine, a 316-mile natural gas pipeline, a natural gas power plant, advanced processing facilities, designated waste management areas, and the necessary transportation infrastructure to support year-round operations. According to project sponsors, the project’s comprehensive development plan is designed to bring environmentally responsible development and significant opportunities to the Yukon-Kuskokwim region and Alaska.
“We’re grateful to the Permitting Council for including Donlin Gold in the FAST-41 program,” said Todd Dahlman, General Manager at Donlin Gold. “This milestone brings us one step closer to responsibly advancing the project through this improved federal coordination program, with its predictable permitting timelines and improved public transparency. We remain committed to listening to and engaging with our landowners, the communities of the Yukon-Kuskokwim region, and the public every step of the way.”
Construction of the proposed project is anticipated to take 3-4 years. Project sponsors expect the Donlin Gold project to operate as a key gold producer for the next 27 years. Donlin Gold LLC, owned by NOVAGOLD Resources Inc. and funds managed by Paulson Advisers LLC, are the company owners of this project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leads federal permitting for the project, which obtained its federal permits in 2018, and is undertaking a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement in response to a remand order from the Federal District Court in Alaska on June 10, 2025. Learn more about the Donlin Gold project on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is composed of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members; and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of the Executive Director coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage, which are in turn entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
###
Last Updated: Monday, October 27, 2025